Not Part of the Plan
by PotterizeMe
Summary: Marriage Law Fic: Her life was twisted upside-down. She had no choice. Hermione Granger had to Marry Fred Weasley.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi! This is my first fanfiction, but I've been reading them for years, so I hope I did it justice! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story, and I'd love to know what you think, so reviews would be appreciated. If you hate it, let me know! I'm sure you're probably like, "ANOTHER marriage law fic?" I know, I know, but they're my favorite, and Fred/Hermione are my favorite pair. I'm pretty good with grammar, but seeing as I do not have a beta, just bear with my mistakes:) Enjoy!  
**_

_***DISCLAIMER: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I would love to take a polyjuice potion and be her for a few hours, but alas, I'm not magical. I receive no money for this, and none of the characters are mine. I only take credit for the plot. So, without further ado, I give you the first chapter of "**_**Not Part of the Plan!" **

Chapter 1: Gone

This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't what she planned. All those years of thinking her wedding would be one of love, of thinking she could chose her husband, of waiting for the right guy. Gone. All her dreams and wishes of her love life-gone. All gone, as soon as she opened the owl post that morning.

"MINISTRY OF MAGIC DECLARES NEW MARRIAGE LAW"

_As of 8:00 PM last night, a new Marriage Law deemed _"The Repopulation of the Greater Wizarding World"_ was put into effect. The Ministry has decided to take the weakened magical community's population problem into their hands. Their guidelines are as follows:_

_-Any Muggle-Born witch or wizard over the age of 19 will be affected by this law._

_-All Muggle-Born witches and wizards are required to marry the Pureblood witch or wizard the Ministry chooses for them within three months of today's date. The marriage must produce a child within a year of the wedding date._

_-If any witch or wizard refuses to marry those chosen for them, the person in question will have their wand broken and be sent to Azkaban._

_-Cheating will not be allowed, and will have the same punishments as those who refuse the marriage. _

_-Leaving the country is prohibited, and if attempted, the witch or wizard will be sent straight to Azkaban._

Hermione looked in the envelope that came along with her other mail, and saw the small piece of parchment resting within. That small piece of parchment held the two words that would change her life forever. The thought alone made her shudder and get light-headed. Hermione sat down and stared at it for what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes.

Deciding she couldn't even attempt to open it without support, she made a cup of coffee and waited for the arrival of her best friend, and one-third of the Golden Trio, Harry Potter. It was only half past seven in the morning, but surely Harry would show up at her flat within the hour.

This gave her a chance to really think about what this meant. Hermione hoped her fiancé would be someone she knew from Hogwarts. Merlin, if she had to marry _Malfoy, _she would go insane. Azkaban was a welcoming thought compared to a life with the ferret. She could always go to the States and live life as Muggle. That certainly wouldn't work, though, if what the Prophet said was true. Thinking about it for another 10 minutes or so, Hermione had just decided she would have no way out of a love-less marriage, when she heard the floo come to life.

"Harry!" She whispered as she got up from her chair and rushed to greet him.

"Hermione? Where are you?" Harry called through the flat.

Harry jogged around the corner, and Hermione had to stop herself from laughing out loud.

Harry had obviously just gotten out of bed, with his hair even messier than usually, his glasses askew, and his pajama pants with snitches flitting about still on. It seemed he hadn't fully woken up yet, as he accidentally knocked over a flower vase sitting on the table.

She did laugh, though, when he barreled into her and grabbed her in a bear hug. It was the only thing she could do to not cry over the ridiculousness of the whole situation. Her laughs, however, soon turned to sobs as Harry stroked the top of her bushy head. The weight of it all had finally hit her, and Hermione didn't know what to do. For once in her know-it-all life, Hermione Granger hadn't a clue what to do.

"Oh, Harry. I'm so nervous about who it could be. I don't want a Death Eater husband." Hermione choked out as her body visibly racked with sobs.

"You haven't opened the letter yet?" Harry asked, shocked her curious nature hadn't lead her to open it. When she slowly shook her head, he let them slide to the floor, and sat them in a more comfortable position. He whispered reassuring and encouraging words into her ear as she held on to him for dear life and let out all her emotions.

When her sobs quieted into small, soft sniffles, Harry put his arm around her shoulder and leaned them against her hallway wall.

"Mrs. Weasley's in a right fit. She cooked up enough food to feed a small army, and then have leftovers for the month. She's been busying herself all morning since she read the Prophet, waiting for her children to come over. The Burrow's never smelled better!" Harry tried to encourage.

Hermione snorted out a laugh at that. Not surprised at the matriarch's antics, she stood up and reached down to help Harry up. Walking into her kitchen, she poured him a cup of coffee. He gratefully grabbed it and nodded his thanks. When she opened the curtains for the room, Hermione saw the gloomy day outside that did nothing to help her mood.

"I suppose we should go to the Burrow now, yeah?" Harry nodded, "I'll go take a shower and get dressed. You can turn on the telly or catch up on your sleep on the couch while I'm gone." Hermione said as she walked down the hallway to her bathroom.

After a refreshing shower and drying her hair with her wand, Hermione changed into a dark blue jumper and dark jeans. Pulling on her trainers and putting her hair up in a bun, secured by her wand, she went back out to find Harry passed out on the couch, his long forgotten coffee mug on the table. She gently shook him awake, and they walked over to her fireplace. Hermione reached into the pot on the mantle and threw the floo powder into the fire. They stepped in as the roaring green flames engulfed them.

"The Burrow!" They shouted together, unmistakably, and left the comfort of her flat, off to what she could only imagine as insanity.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hi again! I hope you all liked the first chapter:D I enjoyed writing it, and loved the reviews:) Thanks again for reading my story, and I would really appreciate some reviews!_**_  
_

_****__*DISCLAIMER: I'm not J.K._ Rowling. I would love to take a polyjuice potion and be her for a few hours, but alas, I can't. I receive no money for this, and none of the characters are mine. I only take credit for the plot. So, without further ado, I give you the second chapter of "**Not Part of the Plan!"**

**A/N- I do realize that Lavender Brown and Angelina Johnson are not Half-bloods or Muggle-born. I also know that Lavender died. I couldn't think of anymore characters, and I apologize if that bothers you. Anyway, read on!**

Chapter 2: Changes

As soon as Hermione stepped out of the Weasley's fireplace, she saw the chaos known as the Burrow. Everyone was in various stages of dress, as they had all probably been awakened by the news. She was quickly pulled into a hug that could rival Hagrid's. She saw a flaming red head of hair and knew it had to be Ginny Weasley. She pulled away and grabbed Hermione's arms in desperation.

"What if they don't keep us together? Harry and I? What if I get stuck with someone who hates me?" Ginny cried as she looked at Hermione with tear filled eyes. "Oh no! What if you get stuck with a Death Eater?" Her face took on a new look as the realization dawned on her that her best friend had it much worse than she did.

"Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry this is happening." Ginny spoke as she pulled Hermione in for another hug.

"I'm okay Ginny. So, wait- does this mean no one's opened their letter yet?" Hermione asked, astonished, as she pulled out of the hug to take in her surroundings.

Before she could respond, Molly Weasley came into the living room.

"Oh Hermione, dear, I'm so sorry." Her adoptive mother pulled her in for another bone-crushing hug. "Why don't we all go into the kitchen and get something to eat while we wait for the twins and Charlie to arrive?" She pulled away and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the load of them.

Hermione walked in and sat down in between Ginny and Bill. She looked around the table to see everyone's reactions. Percy and his father were in their work clothes and looked a bit guilty for not telling everyone, Mr. Weasley more than his son. Mrs. Weasley was bustling around the numerous pots and pans and levitating them to the table. Bill and his six-month pregnant wife, Fleur, were looking around the room with sad expressions and speaking to each other in soft whispers. Hermione caught a bit of what they were saying and noticed it was all in French. Looking to her left, Harry and Ginny were seen with their arms around each other in fear of the opening of their letters. Ron, it seemed, was the only one unaffected as he consumed his breakfast with vigor. Hermione rolled her eyes and chucked at that.

The floo activated and the twins walked in, ready for the day in their magenta WWW robes. As they brushed off the soot, they kissed their mother's cheeks and sat down across from Hermione. They, too, didn't have much of an appetite, as they stared down at the unopened letters they took out of their robe pockets.

The family sat together in relative silence as they waited for the arrival of the last member.

Not five minutes later, they heard the rush of the floo as Charlie walked in, dragon skin boots and all, and sat down next to George.

Mrs. Weasley stood at the end of the table, just behind Mr. Weasley's chair as he spoke. "You've all heard by now about the marriage law that's now in effect. There was nothing we could tell you before it was signed into law because we were all sworn to secrecy. I thought we should do it as a family, and that's why you're all here. Why don't we start with the oldest, hm?"

Seeing as Bill was already married, Charlie reached in his leather jacket and pulled out his envelope. His eyes moved over the words as he read the letter that explained the rules of the law. He saw the two words at the bottom, and his face broke out into a grin.

"Rene Gopher- she works at the reserve. This is great!" He turned to the twins. "The legs on this bird, whew. I'm glad it's not anyone else!" Charlie sounded relieved as he looked down at the table, as if finally noticing the food. Getting some toast and jam, Hermione was happy to see at least someone was happy with their choice.

His eyes skimmed straight over the letter, as he already knew the guidelines, and read the name at the bottom.

"It's Penelope Clearwater." Percy spoke in an unsurprised voice, seeing all ministry workers were told ahead of time. Words of encouragement were thrown at him from his family members.

The twins reached on to the table, and seemed to communicate without words that they would open them at the same time. They read over the guidelines fast and after reading the two names, looked at each other. George had a huge grin on his face, whereas Fred looked relieved, but a little uneasy.

"Angelina Johnson!" George shouted. "Mum, I have to go see her; may I be excused?" George asked sweetly, whilst batting his eyelashes.

"Of course, dear. Go on now." She paused to look at the obviously troubled twin. "Fred? Who did you get dear?" She asked, puzzled.

"What? Oh, um, I'm going to go make sure the kettle is off at our flat. You know George." Fred said, as he shot a fleeting glance at Hermione before apparating to their flat.

"Oh. Well, um, Ronald, it's your turn." Mrs. Weasley said, still confused.

Ron wiped his hands on his pants and finished chewing before opening his letter. His mouth dropped as he read the name on the bottom.

"Lavender Brown!" Ron exclaimed, happy that his old girlfriend would soon be his wife. His family sat with shocked expressions, and dared a look at Hermione to see her reaction to the news. She looked pleased for Ron. At least he got someone he wanted.

Ron and Hermione talked a little while after the War ended about their kiss. They both agreed it was just the heat of the moment, and they loved each other like siblings, not lovers. Since the War, the trio had only gotten closer, especially she and Harry, which explained why he was the one who showed up to her flat that morning.

Harry looked at Ginny before giving her a smoldering kiss that usually wouldn't have been allowed at the table, but under the circumstances, the family cast a blind eye to them. Harry quickly tore open his letter and read the name at the bottom. His face broke into an ear-to-ear grin. He jumped up and grabbed Ginny in a hug and pulled her in for another searing kiss as the remaining Weasleys cheered and whistled for the happy couple.

All eyes soon turned to Hermione as the butterflies in her stomach turned to a stampede of hippogriffs when she picked up her letter. Looking straight to the bottom, she read the two words that made her heart stop:

_Fred Weasley._

It felt like her whole world had screeched to a stop. Fred Weasley, as in one-half of the Infamous Weasley Twins, Prankster Extraordinaire, heartbreaker, her ex-boyfriend's brother. THE Fred Weasley. The one who defied death during the Final Battle by sneezing and moving out of the way of the falling wall. Her fiancé. Hermione Granger would soon become Hermione Weasley. She felt herself getting light-headed again.

Hermione dropped the parchment and sat in her seat, shocked. So this was why Fred had left early. She remembered the look on his face as he dissaparated. Emotions raged through her. Anger. Shock. Disappointment. Every emotion but the one she should have in regards to her fiancé; love.

Ginny leaned over and grabbed the parchment. She read it aloud.

"Fred? They matched you with Fred?" Ginny shouted, excited for her best friend to really become her sister now.

The reactions were mixed between happy (Ginny and Mrs. Weasley) and worried (Harry and Bill). Happy, because she was finally going to be a Weasley, and worried, because a prankster marrying the Brightest Witch of Their Age was bound to be a difficult match.

Mrs. Weasley and Ginny started pouring over a scrapbook that they had summoned for wedding ideas. Thrilled with the thought of so many weddings, Mrs. Weasley was already beginning to plan them.

"I, um, I-I think I better go talk to F-Fred about this." Hermione stuttered out as she got up from her seat and excused herself from this table.

She twisted in the air and apparated herself to the twin's flat.


	3. Chapter 3

_****__**Hi there, everyone! I just want to say a big thank you to all of you who've read my story! Also, if you haven't reviewed yet, please do after this chapter:) I love hearing people's reactions. Finally, I know you're all thinking, "Jeez! Three chapters in one day! This biddy has no life!" Which is partially true. I've decided to turn this into my thing to do this summer. I'll eventually calm down to one chapter a day, and possibly less often if I lose inspiration. But, seeing as I am full of ideas, you will be treated with as much as I write a day:) Enjoy!**_

_****__***DISCLAIMER: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I would love to take a polyjuice potion and be her for a few hours, but alas, I can't. I receive no money for this, and none of the characters are mine. I only take credit for the plot. So, without further ado, I give you the third chapter of "**_**Not Part of the Plan!"**

_**A/N- I took French this year, but I have absolutely no clue how to write a French accent without Fleur sounding like those "I can haz cheeseburger now?" cats. Sorry to offend! You'll just have to deal with it :)**_

Chapter 3: Talking

Hermione arrived at the twin's flat seconds later. She looked around, a bit unfamiliar with the layout, in search of Fred. She found him sitting on an orange window seat overlooking the street below. He looked deep in thought, and she almost left so as not to interrupt, but stopped, remembering they had to get married within the summer, and walked over to him and sat down next to him.

He jumped, not aware of her presence. When he saw who it was, that look came across his face again as he turned to look outside.

He spoke, "I guess this means we have some things to talk about, yeah?" Hermione nodded. He turned to face her. "Well, first off, I think we should move in together. You can come live at our flat, and use the floo to get to St. Mungo's every day. I think that's the only way we'll be able to really connect and get to know each other. At least, that's what I've come up with since I left."

To say Hermione was shocked would be an understatement. He had a whole plan already formed, and she was still trying to figure out how to not pass out. The bewildered look on her face must have given it away because Fred sighed, stood up, and walked into the kitchen.

Realizing her mistake, Hermione quickly followed him to explain. "Fred." She tried to get his attention. "Fred, I'm not saying 'no' to your plan. I just surprised, is all. I'm still trying to get over the fact that I have to be married by the end of the summer, and it just shocked me that you were thinking so rationally. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend you." She told him while he listened on with rapt attention.

He nodded, "I figured as much. It's just- I never thought I would have to make these decisions. I'm not thrilled at the prospect of being married, but I'm willing to try. I've never been in love before, and I thought I wouldn't have to settle down for a while. But, it appears the ministry had other plans for us. I'm sorry we're being forced into this marriage the way we are, but I'm not unhappy I was paired with you. You're a beautiful, witty, bloody brilliant witch, and I'm sorry you're stuck with someone who never even finished Hogwarts." As he finished his speech, he looked up to see Hermione with tears in her eyes.

"Was it something I said? Mione, I'm so sorry." Fred pleaded with her as she wiped away the tears that tried to escape.

"No, no. It's not like that. I've- I've never been called beautiful before, that's all. You're such a great guy, and I'm so sorry we're under these conditions." Hermione let a few tears escape.

"You're pulling my wand!" He exclaimed in disbelief. "That's one of the looniest things I've ever heard. You're an amazing witch, and I can't believe no one's ever said that to you before." He pulled her in for a hug as she laughed and he wiped away the tears that had escaped.

"So, will you move in with us?" He asked as he theatrically got down on one knee.

"Of course I will, Fred. When should I move in?" She asked.

"How does this weekend work? We take a day off every once in a while, and I'll try to convince George to let us." Fred offered.

"That sounds wonderful, Fred." She said. They looked around the kitchen before looking at each other and laughing at the awkwardness of it.

"I guess we should get back to the Burrow. Mum's probably worried sick about us. Plus, now she's got six weddings to plan." Fred reached for her arm, "Shall we, malady?"

Hermione giggled and curtseyed, "Why thank you, kind sir. You know, I was thinking-"

Fred cut her off with a smirk, "When _aren't_ you thinking?"

She lightly punched him in the arm. "**Anyway**, I was thinking and assuming someone gets married every Saturday, and we get married in the order we opened our letters, our wedding should be in about 6 weeks. We'll be married in 6 weeks."

"Well, then. I guess you better get used to my sarcasm, my dear, seeing as you'll have to live with it for the rest of your life." He said with a wink as he pulled her into his embrace and apparated them to the burrow.

* * *

He apparated them straight into the living room and waited for her to do a glamour charm so she wouldn't look like she was crying.

"Will you always take this long to get ready?" He whined as she turned towards him, fresh-faced.

"Will you always be this whiney?" She countered.

"Fine, fine. But I won this." He said and smiled as they walked into the busy kitchen.

"Son," Mr. Weasley called, "that's about the last time you'll ever win." He looked over to Mrs. Weasley as she lovingly hit him with her spoon on the top of his head.

"Anyway, dearies, we have a lot of work to do; planning six weddings in three months. My, my. So much to do." She rambled on a bit more about colors and place settings before turning to Hermione and Fred. "While you two were gone, everyone else chose their color palate and wedding court. That's the least you could do today."

They spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon debating the colors. They stopped once for lunch because Ron wouldn't stop grumbling about how hungry he was. In the end, they chose a spring green and brown color palate. Fred chose George as his Best Man, obviously, and the rest of his brothers as groomsmen. Hermione asked Ginny to be her Maid of Honor, to which she squealed and pulled her in for a tight hug. She also chose Luna, Angelina, Penelope, who she became close with when she was Head Girl, and her cousin, Dorothy as the remaining bridesmaids.

At around 4, the boys and Ginny decided to go out and play quidditch. Fleur and Hermione picked a spot under the oak in the Weasley's backyard and began to discuss her pregnancy. Hermione knew she would have to have a baby with Fred; it was most likely a part of the law.

Thinking about it, she wasn't sure she was that opposed to a baby with him. Looking up at him playing with his family made her start to think about what type of father Fred would be. Hermione daydreamt a little more about have like bushy, red-headed, freckled children running around.

Speaking of freckles, she was thanking Merlin Fred was playing on the skins team. It was evident quidditch did him well, as she took in his lean, muscular body. Thankfully, her sunglasses protected her from the embarrassment of Fred discovering her watching him. She checked to make sure she wasn't drooling as she checked out his defined arms, his lean, freckled back, and his sculpted chest and abdomen. She turned back to Fleur to find the older witch watching her was an amused expression.

"You were watching ze twin, Fred, were you not?" Hermione blushed. "I can ze why. Bill eez built ze same way, but he has many scars from ze war, but I find zem very sexy." Fleur laughed as she spoke.

Hermione knew she was caught and just nodded, ashamed.

Fleur giggled, "Et eez nothing to be ashamed of, Hermione. He eez very cute."

Hermione just blushed. "I think I'll be heading home now." She got up and went into the kitchen to say her goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, thanking them for all their help.

She went back out to say goodbye to everyone playing when she saw the game was over and everyone was putting away their brooms and putting their shirts back on. Disappointed to say the least, Hermione started to walk back over to the oak to get her bag before leaving. She noticed a certain shirtless, freckled twin talking to Fleur with his broom slung over his shoulder. Fleur pointed behind him towards Hermione, who was only 10 feet away. He turned around and broke into a smile when he saw her.

"There you are! Fleur said you were leaving and I wanted to make sure I talked to you before you left." Fred said as he motioned with her to follow him into the broom shed.

"I talked to George, and he agrees that you should move in and doesn't mind at all if we take off Saturday. It'll give him a chance to help Angelina move in, too." He finished putting away his broom and unfortunately put his shirt back on. He ran a hand through his damp hair and looked down at Hermione.

"Well, I guess I should go now." Hermione said as she saw Fred lean in. Beginning to freak out, she was relieved when he kissed her forehead and whispered a goodnight before she dissaparated away.

* * *

_**Leave a review! It's not terribly difficult! The button's right there! Don't make me beg:(**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I should tell you now; I really love this chapter. I hope you enjoy it, because it took me forever to write :) Please enjoy the next chapter of my story, "Not Part of the Plan!"**_

_****__***DISCLAIMER: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I would love to take a polyjuice potion and be her for a few hours, but alas, I'm not magical. I receive no money for this, and none of the characters are mine. I only take credit for the plot.**_

_**A/N: Sorry if you think they're OOC!**_

Chapter 4: Learning

The rest of the week passed by in a blur of tablecloth colors and flower arrangements for Hermione. Charlie and Rene's wedding was the following Saturday, and Mrs. Weasley had a lot of planning to do. She was cooking all the food herself, but they still had to find all the dresses and dress robes. Charlie fought for regular suits without the jacket, seeing as it was early June, and dress robes would be too hot, but Mrs. Weasley was adamant about tradition, and insisted she could cast a cooling charm over the wedding. Plus, she was still planning everybody else's weddings, as Percy and Penelope's was the following weekend after Charlie's.

Hermione spent her free time after work the whole week packing her flat the muggle way. It helped her deal with the emotional stress of being forced to marry Fred. They had had dinner twice that week together, and she was happy they were getting along so well. As she packed away her muggle and wizard photographs of her friends and family on Friday, she abruptly dropped a muggle photograph of her parents at their wedding.

Her parents.

She hadn't even thought about them in the week since the law was passed. They had no clue as to her upcoming nuptials or even to the law. She was thinking about how she would go about telling them when Fred apparated into her living room.

"Whatcha thinking about, Mione?" Fred asked as he sat down next to her and started to cover her frames with the bubble wrap she insisted using.

"I've just realized my parents have no idea I'm to be married in six weeks!" She exclaimed as she got up and started to pace. "What if they don't want to be at my wedding? What if they don't want to be a part my life anymore? What if they refuse to-"

Fred had heard enough. He got up and ceased her pacing to put a finger over her lips.

"Shh. Everything will be okay. How about we visit them Saturday after moving you in? That way we can both go and explain the situation together. Plus, it'll give me a chance to meet your parents." He said with a wink.

Still with his finger on her lips, she nodded. After seeing her approval of his plan, he removed his finger, and stared at the place where it once was. After a moment, he looked down at his hands and saw the half-wrapped picture and sat down to wrap it again.

"Right. Well. Do you want to stay for dinner? We could order some take-out?" She asked after getting her bearings back.

"Sure. I'll pay, if you don't mind." Fred responded as he pulled out his wallet.

After dinner, they finished packing the rest of her things. Hermione put the essentials and a change of clothes into her beaded bag before setting it by her door. They sat down in front of the empty fireplace with the take out and two butterbeers Fred got from her fridge.

"So, I guess now is a good time to start." Hermione said, as she opened her butterbeer.

"What? Start what?" Fred asked, slightly confused as he dug in to his food.

"Well, I thought of a way for us to get to know each other. It's a bit like the muggle game '20 Questions,' but in my version, we just ask each other all the questions we can think of. Once we feel we know each other well enough, we can stop. Deal?" She held out her hand.

He shook her hand, "Deal" He repeated. "So, ladies first?" He asked with a wink.

"Um, sure. What's your favorite color?" Hermione asked.

"Orange," Fred said almost immediately. "What's your favorite thing to do on rainy days?"

"I like to curl up under a soft blanket and get transported to another place with a good book." Hermione replied with a dreamy look on her face. "What was it like, narrowly escaping death like that?" She asked, suddenly very curious about his answer.

"Well, you should know, seeing as you, Ronnikens, and Boy Wonder did it every day of Hogwarts." He laughed. "But all joking aside, it changed me. I no longer joke about things like death and suicide. Not saying every one of my jokes beforehand were that cruel, but I did make a few bad ones. I noticed George and I are even closer now, if that's even possible." He ended with a smirk. She smiled.

"Are you going to keep Granger, take Weasley or hyphenate your last name after we get married?" Fred asked, truly curious at her answer.

"I've been thinking about it. It would be hard on my patients to all of a sudden change my name, but I wouldn't mind being called Mrs. Hermione Weasley. A hyphen just seems like too much work." She grinned, while Fred's smile got bigger.

"So, you want to be a Weasley, eh?" He asked before reaching over and swiftly tickling her ribs. He chuckled as she laughed and tried to push him away.

Still laughing, she asked, "What's your favorite thing about having a twin?"

He thought for a moment. "It's probably that I'll always have someone there for me. If I get into an argument, he's always on my side. Unless, of course, I'm having a row with him." Fred said with a smile.

She smiled back. "I'm a bit jealous of that. I'm an only child, and my only cousin lives 3 hours away by train, so I was by myself a lot." She finished with a sad smile.

"What, you never played with the neighborhood kids?" He joked, before seeing the sad look in her eyes. "Well, why not?"

"They never let me. They would make fun of me for caring more about studying and books than the cartoon shows they were watching. I never even had a sleepover with someone who wasn't related to me." Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she thought about the years before Hogwarts; before she knew she was a witch.

She continued, "Then McGonagall came to my house and told my parents I was a witch. I read all the way through 'Hogwarts: A History' the afternoon I got it. I re-read it so many times, I knew it by heart. I figured I would finally be going to a school where people understood and accepted me. I was wrong. I was shunned there the same as in muggle school. For the same reasons, too; I studied too much, I knew too much. I was deemed an outcast the moment I got there."

When she was done a single tear ran down her cheek. Before she could catch it, Fred reached over and wiped away.

"It seems I'm doing this a lot, yeah?" Fred joked as he moved to put his arm around her and pulled her face to look at him. "Look at me, Mione. I'm here with you right now, not because of some stupid marriage law. I'm here because I want to be. You're absolutely amazing, and I'm dumbfounded as to why anyone wouldn't want to be near you. You are absolutely radiant, and you light up a room. Your laugh brings a smile to everyone listening. You have a knack for words, and sure you a bit bookish, but your witty as all hell. I'll be proud to call you my wife in a month, because you are positively stunning. You already know I think you're beautiful, so I guess I should list some more words that attempt to describe you. Gorgeous. Sunny. Sweet. Exquisite. Tender. Perfect. I-"

Hermione cut him off. "Fred; that's enough. Thank you. A thousand times thank you. No one has ever said anything that lovely to me." She laughed. "I think that's enough of the game for tonight. It's already 10:30. You should be getting home. I'll see you tomorrow, first thing."

Fred smiled, "Maybe not the first thing. I like my sleep, woman!" She lightly pushed him away as she stood up and he laughed more. She helped him up and bent to clean up the rubbish they left on her floor. He leaned down to pick up a butterbeer bottle at the same time she did. Their hands touched, and Hermione pulled away fast like lightning struck her. It felt like it had; that bolt of electricity that shot up her arm at his touch. She busied herself cleaning up the rest as he went to the kitchen to recycle it.

She stood up and followed him the kitchen with her trash. After throwing it away, she turned to look at him.

"Thank you, Fred. For tonight, I mean. I really enjoyed it. How about we meet at my place for breakfast tomorrow at 10?" Hermione suggested.

"That sounds like a plan." He walked over to her. He leaned down and gave her a hug, that might have lingered too long, but neither complained. He kissed her on the cheek before apparating away.

Hermione reached up and touched her cheek; feeling where his lips had been only moments before, where her skin still tingled. Sighing, she left the room and went to bed, falling into a fitful sleep with her waking up every few hours from her dreams of a very familiar red-head.


	5. Chapter 5

_**I decided to switch it up for this chapter. Someone requested I do it in their POVs, so voila! Sorry if you don't like the way it turns out, but you could always leave a review to let me know! By the way, I had to do some research on the yoga. If it's not right, send me a pm and I'll fix it. Thanks!**_

_****__***DISCLAIMER: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I would love to take a polyjuice potion and be her for a few hours, but alas, I'm not magical. I receive no money for this, and none of the characters are mine. I only take credit for the plot.**_

Chapter 5: Knowing

(Hermione's POV)

After a restless night's sleep, I woke at 7:00 on the dot, Saturday morning. I got out of bed and headed to the loo. Following brushing my teeth, I took a nice, long hot shower. When I got out, I decided to change it up a bit, and instead of charming my hair dry and leaving it curly, I charmed it straight and let pulled it up into a sleek, smooth ponytail. I put on yoga pants and a blue tank top.

Padding into the kitchen, I opened the window to let in the owls with my mail. There was a short letter from Ginny demanding my presence at her and Harry's flat on Sunday. The usual magazines and the Daily Prophet followed. On the front was a picture of protesters in the lobby of the ministry. The story below it was about the uproar caused by the ludicrous law. I sat down to read it at my kitchen table with a hot cup of tea and a piece of whole wheat toast with jam.

"_Pandemonium Still In Progress; Ministry Denies Rumors of Retraction of Marriage Law"_

I stopped reading after the second paragraph. What rubbish! They're not going to make a retraction statement so soon, even if the people criticized it.

I finished my tea and put my empty plate and teacup in the sink. Walking into the living room, I reached behind my television and grabbed my yoga mat. With two hours to spare, I figured I could get in some Sun Salutations before Fred arrived.

I started in mountain and raised my hands over hand and reached back behind me, inhaling. I folded forward with my hands next to my feet and exhaled. Bringing my right foot back into a lunge, I inhaled again. Moving to a plank position, I held my breath in. I dragged my knees, chin, and chest to the floor and exhaled. Sweeping up to a cobra, I inhaled. I lifted my rear into the air for a downward dog and exhaled. With my right forward, I lunged again, inhaling. I brought myself back to standing bent over so my hands were flat on the ground and exhaled. I stood and brought my arms back behind me again. I finished standing in mountain. Taking a few deep breaths, I sat down and started meditating.

I took up meditation and yoga after the war as a way to relieve my stress and to calm down. After the war, I was hyper–sensitive to everything around me. The slightest bump in the night, I was up with my wand drawn. It took me a few months to get used to not sleeping in constant fear of attack. Now, two years later, thanks to yoga and meditation, I could easily sleep through the night without fear. It also kept me limber and flexible, which was a bonus.

After finishing up, I looked at the clock on my stove and noticed it was 9:30 already. I quickly got up and walked to my room. Sniffing, I decided to take a fast shower, keeping my hair up in a shower cap. The shower wouldn't start for 10 minutes, and when it did, it was only extremely hot water. Waiting for it to cool down I sat on my sink and looked around the room. Putting my hand under, I felt that it was cool enough, and jumped in. I was putting soap in my hands when I heard the distinct sound of apparition. Realizing it was Fred, I panicked, and tried to get out of the tub. In my haste, I let water on the floor. I realized my mistake a few seconds later when I slipped and fell on my bum. Letting out a yelp I tried to get up, but only to slip and fall again.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Fred asked, as I realized I was fully naked and he was coming closer.

"What? Right, yeah, I uh, I got soap in my eye. Be out in a jiffy!" I cursed as I held onto the sink and stood up. Getting back in the shower, I quickly rinsed off and turned off the water. Pulling off my shower cap and grabbing my towel, I stepped out of the water closet and in to my room across the hall. Quickly drying myself off with my wand, I slipped into my undergarments and an old Rolling Stones t-shirt and cutoff shorts. Pulling on some black sandals, I walked out of my room into the kitchen to see Fred leaning against the counter in a wonderful blue tee and cargo shorts reading the paper.

He looked up and smiled, "Quite an eventful morning, eh?" He chuckled as he threw it down on the table. "I'm starving; what shall we make?"

Shaking my head, I reached into the cabinets and pulled out a box of instant pancakes. "You know how to make a potion, right?" Fred just gave me a sarcastic look in response. "Right. Well, these are a bit like making potions, except you've only got about 5 ingredients. They're quite simple to make."

I explained the basic principle of making them while he searched my kitchen for the right utensils. After we got everything out and it all prepped, we got to work.

As it turns out, Fred's a marvelous cook. I guess when you've got Molly Weasley for a mum, anyone's cooking can be spectacular. He was a wonderful help, and he only goofed off once.

When we were almost finished, I got out the whipped cream I had made and stuck in the freezer earlier in the week. While my back was turned, he stuck a finger in the now thawed cream and when I turned around, he wiped it on my nose. Fred chuckled as he ran around the table, trying to fight me off. I put some cream on my finger and reached across the table and quickly wiped it on his cheek. We laughed as I ran around the tabled trying to avoid him. He caught up fast, being a quidditch player and all, and pulled me in towards him while he tickled me mercifully.

I screeched and tried to pull away from him, but he had a firm grip. I turned around to face him, and that's when I saw how close together we were. Breathing hard, I saw the mirth in his eyes and the smile on his lips. Looking down at my nose, he swiped away the cream and stuck his finger in his mouth with a grin. Shocked, I played back by taking the cream off his smooth cheek and putting it my mouth. His grin slowly faded as he watched my mouth as I licked off the sweet topping.

Still breathing hard, I looked down at his lips and subconsciously licked mine. He saw this, and his eyes widened. I was struck with a sudden urge to kiss him. Looking down at his lips again, then back to his face, I saw the realization in his eyes. Before I could say anything, Fred released me, stepped back and went to the stove to make the pancakes. Flushed, I sat there scolding myself for being so stupid for a moment before following and helping him. We finished cooking in an uncomfortable silence, neither one of us attempting to breach the subject of what had almost happened.

Sitting down to eat, I noticed as neither of us reached for the whipping cream. Standing up with my half-eaten plate of pancakes, I started to do the dishes. I assume Fred finished the other six pancakes, as he joined me a little while later to help. All the time I was doing the dishes, I couldn't help but think about how silly I had been earlier.

_It's not as though he's in this relationship by choice. You're being forced to bloody marry him! Besides, why would he even want to kiss you? You're just an ugly mudblood bookworm. _She stopped her thoughts at that. He had called her beautiful, after all. Maybe he was just doing that to be nice. I looked over at him and saw a troubled look on his face. Wondering what was going on in his mind, I put away the dishes and turned to him.

Fred's POV

_How could I have been so stupid? It was obvious she wanted to kiss me! Why didn't I let her? Why did I let her go? She must hate me right now. She probably thought I didn't want to kiss her. Didn't I? I thought she was just one of Ron's friends; the little bookworm of Hogwarts. Well, she's not so little anymore! I guess I was afraid of kissing her? Why, though? Why would I be afraid? She's going to be my wife in a few weeks; it's not like it's against the law to fancy your own wife. Wait. I fancy her? Where did that come from? _I looked up to see a distressed look on her face.

_It's not as though it would be that bad. She's a pretty good looking bird, right? Oh, who am I kidding? She's bloody gorgeous! How am I supposed to get a girl like her? Well, I suppose I already have. Although, not the way I would prefer. _Looking up again, I noticed she had left during my little tirade. It was more of a rambling speech. I turned around to see her leaning against the table looking at me.

"Fred, we can jump around it all we want; there's still an elephant in the room." She said as she looked down at the ground.

Elephant? Where? I looked around the room, then back at her. "What elephant?" I asked.

She giggled before she spoke, "It's a metaphor for- never mind. That doesn't matter. What matters is that we almost just kissed, and that would normally freak me out, right? But here's the thing-"I cut her off, trying to speak. "Save it." She said, looking at me with stern eyes. I backed away and put my hands up in a signal of surrender.

Her face softened. She sighed. "The thing is, Fred, is that I found myself wanted to kiss you. And I mean really wanting to kiss you. It's crazy that I can't even think about kissing my fiancé without thinking about whether or not he'll kiss me back. It's bloody frustrating to me. I want to kiss you. For Merlin's sake, it's not like it's against the law. I just want to know something, right here, right now. If I kissed you right now, how would you react?"

I stood, looking at her in silence. _'How would I react?' She asks 'How would I bloody react?' I can't believe this. She's basically saying she fancies me! Quick, say something!_

I was about to open my mouth, when she put a hand up. With a hurt expression, she spoke.

"I put myself out there, and to no surprise, I was met with silence. That was enough of an answer for me, Fred. You know, I really thought you were different." She shook her head. "I can see I was wrong. I can speak to my parents on my own. Right now, though, I want you to leave." She said with a shaky voice. I looked on in horror as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Moving forward to touch her, she put her hand up again. "Just stop. Please, just leave." She said in a defeated voice as she walked out of the kitchen to her room. I heard the door slam, and I knew I couldn't go after her. _I guess I'll just have to give her some time._

With that, I apparated home.

* * *

**_The button's right there! enlighten me! Click it! Reviewreviewreview!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Guys, words cannot describe how crappy I feel right now. Most of you have probably given up on my story by now, rightfully so. I broke my promise to myself to not let myself become one of those authors that starts a story and waits four months to publish the next chapter. I hate that I let that happen, but I got so busy with my job and camp and school and practice, that I let my inspiration slip away. I am aware it's been over 3 months. I'm so sorry for the ridiculous lateness of this chapter, and I give you full permission to leave horrible comments about how much you hate me. So, without further ado, I give you the long awaited Chapter 6.**_

Chapter 6: Lost

As she lay on her bed and listened to Fred leave, Hermione knew she'd overreacted. She had been frustrated, and she hadn't given him enough time to answer her cryptic question. She knew that. But she also knew that if he had rejected her, they're whole marriage would be a horribly awkward deal. Hermione didn't want a love-less marriage. Her parent's marriage had been one of love, and she envied their situation in comparison to hers at the moment.

Thinking about it, she looked at the clock to see it was already noon. She told her parents last night when she called them that she would meet at their house for lunch at 1. Getting up, she changed into something more presentable and apparated over to tell them the news on her own.

"Mum? Dad?" Hermione called from her parent's living room where she apparated in.

"We're in the kitchen, dear!" She heard her mother say as she walked down the hallway towards her voice.

Hermione walked in to the kitchen to see her parents setting the table, which was being set for four diners, with sandwiches.

"Oh. You told us to expect another guest. Are they coming later?" Her mother asked as she looked around Hermione, expecting to see another person walk out.

"Well, some things, uh, some things came up." Hermione said as she plastered on a smile for them.

Her father saw right through it, though. "Is everything okay, Hermione?" He asked, concerned.

"I think it's best if we sat down before I explained everything to you." She sat in the chair opposite her Mother while her father sat at the head.

"What is it dear? What's wrong?" Her mother said when she saw her daughter's worried expression.

"There's a reason why I had to hide you two in Australia. I told you after I retrieved your memories; do you remember?" She started.

Her parents looked at each other before her father spoke, "That man would have killed us. What was his name, dear? Woldyvort? Boldyfort? Voldemort? That's it. Voldemort. He would have killed us to get to you, right?" Her father looked to her for recognition.

She nodded, stifling her laughter. Getting serious again, she spoke. "Well, our ministry protected us then, or at least, they tried to. The War wounded us, in more than one way. We've been having population problems as a community, and they've decided to introduce a law they think could help. They" she paused. "They're forcing us to get married."

"What?! How can they even do that?! You'll have to say no! Won't you be able to say no?" Her father shouted once she finished. By the look on her face, he calmed down and reached to hold her hand.

"I've read the rules, Daddy; I've read them a hundred times. There is positively no way out of this." Hermione said, solemnly.

Her parents were quiet for a few minutes. Finally, her mother spoke. "When's the wedding, then?"

Hermione gave a sad smile. "It's scheduled for the Saturday six weeks from now."

Her mother looked cautiously curious for a moment. "Who will you be marrying, then?"

Hermione almost smiled, then flashed back to earlier that day, when she- She stopped thinking about it before she could get upset. "I'll, uh- I'll be marrying Fred, Ronald Weasley's older brother."

Her parents smiled. "Well, at least you know the family, dear. It could always be worse." Her mother said.

Hermione's demeanor changed as her father said, "Where is this boy? Why isn't he here with you to tell us the news? Is everything okay?"

Her smile faltered and she stuttered her response, "We uh, we got i-into a bit of an, uh argument this morning."

Her parent's smiles faded. "What was the fight about? Is it serious?" Her mother asked worriedly.

"I don't really want to talk about it right now, mum." Hermione said as she looked down at her hands. Trying to change the subject, she smiled and asked, "Now, how about those sandwiches?"

Fred apparated back to his flat in a storm of emotions. He threw a mug that was sitting on the counter at the wall, where it shattered and fell to the floor. Muttering to himself, he looked around the room before his eyes landed on his broom, leaning against the fireplace. A nice, leisurely broom ride would help clear his mind. Before he got a chance to walk across the room though, George rushed around the corner.

"What the hell? I was sleeping!" George said as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. After getting a better look at his brother, though, his face softened and he walked over to him. "What's the matter? Weren't you meeting Hermione's parents today?"

Fred felt all the tension leave his shoulders. He wasn't mad at George, and it would only get worse if he let out his anger on him. Looking at his twin, he explained what had happened just minutes before. How everything had been fine, the flirting, the pancakes, the topping fight, that sweet, almost kiss. When he finished, George slung his arm around his brother's shoulder.

"She just needs time, mate. Give her a bit of time and she'll come 'round. No woman can avoid our dashing looks for too long!" George said with a smile, as Fred laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But she was supposed to move in tomorrow. We were going to finish up the packing today before meeting her parents. Oh man, her parents. They must think the worst of me! Not even married yet, and my in-laws already hate me! What am I gonna do?" Fred cried as he started pacing the room.

"Fred. Fred. FRED!" George shouted when he didn't respond. Fred stopped and looked at his brother. "I'm sure her parents don't hate you. Hermione probably covered for you, embarrassed that she didn't bring someone like she said she would. Don't worry about it."

But he did worry. He worried the rest of the day. And the day after that. And the following week. It was beginning to affect his work. His customers were getting short with him when he wouldn't pay attention to what they were saying. Fred could not stop thinking about what had happened Saturday morning. What he didn't say was haunting him even more than what he did say. Hermione had obviously wanted him to say that he wanted to kiss her, too. If he had only said that, this problem would never have arisen.

With Bill's wedding the next day, Fred knew he had to do something and something fast. Going down into the backroom, he started hatching a plan.

_**Don't kill me for ending it there! I just found out that my best friend is really sick, and I'm trying to focus on that and this, and it's just not working. So please, don't hate me. Try to review?**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N- Go ahead; hate me. I've been a horrible person. I've also been horribly busy. A job, school, my family, and my close friend getting leukemia, I haven't had time to write. I also kind of lost my train of thought for a bit. I know where I want the story to go now, and if anyone still wants to read it, I'm willing to write it. I'm gonna do my best to update it once a week, probably on the weekend. I hope they are still people out there willing to read it, so, please, bear with me. I honestly loved writing this chapter, so I really hope people read it! Here, after a long break, is Chapter 7.**_

**Chapter 6: Planning**

Hermione awoke with her face pressed into a familiar smelling surface. She opened her eyes and looked around the room. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she realized she was back in her old room, at her parent's house. Sitting up, she looked at her bedside table to see that it was nearly 7:00 in the morning. Still feeling very groggy, it took her almost a full minute to realize she needed to be at work in an hour.

She quickly jumped up and rushed around, trying to locate her things. As she ran down the stairs to see her parents off as they went back to work, she was attempting to remember the night before. Her parents left, after making her promise she would come visit again, next time with Fred. She made a vague, empty promise and hurried them on their way.

She apparated back to her flat and rushed into the loo to take a shower. While washing her hair, she remembered the night before and her whole weekend came back to her.

* * *

After she left her parents, she apparated to Ginny and Harry's flat. Upon arriving, she went through the motions of being excited for the love birds. She faked her way through dinner, but as Harry went off to the store to pick up ice cream, Ginny turned on her.

"Alright, Harry's left. Now tell me; what's bothering you? You look as comfortable as Snape at a tea party." Ginny said as she pulled Hermione onto the couch, facing her.

Hermione struggled to say something, before tearing up and crying. Ginny grabbed her into a hug and softly pet her hair in an attempt to calm her down. She got herself together enough to explain what had happened that morning. Ginny listened patiently until she finished recalling the fight.

"Ginny, I don't know what to do! I think I'm falling for him, and I feel like the biggest fool on the planet for letting him leave. I over-reacted, I know. I'm just not used to this kind of stuff! He makes me so nervous, but excited. Scared witless, but happy. I know I did wrong, but I don't know how to fix it!" Hermione wept as she laid her head on Ginny's shoulder and stared out the window.

Ginny rubbed her hand and spoke. "I don't know much about relationships, but I do know about fighting. Harry and I have a row, silly harmless ones, about once a week. If we didn't, we would be driving each other up the walls. Whenever we do have a serious one, though, I always make sure he knows how I feel. We talk it out, and it gets settled. You need to talk to him. But first, you need to give him some space. He probably is going through similar turmoil, if I know my brothers correctly. And remember; the best part about fighting is making up. Especially with make-up sex!" she giggled.

Hermione laughed along with her, and wiped her face. They sat for a little while longer, wiping tears and sharing reassuring hugs. Harry walked in after about 5 minutes of this smiling, but when he saw the tears, he frowned.

"Hermione, what happened? Why are you crying" Harry said with worry as he sat down next to her.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Ginny beat her to it.

"Just talking about my git of a brother." Ginny said with a smile. "But we're all good now."

Hermione remained on their couch, drinking a glass of wine and reminiscing, until the clock struck twelve, and Ginny yawned for the umpteenth time that night.

"I should be heading out. Thank you for having me for dinner," She said. She turned to Ginny, "And thank you for listening to me about my silly problems. I love you both, dearly. Get some sleep!" She scolded. She apparated to her flat, and then realized that she would have to unpack all her bags to find her bed and clothes. Instead, she just apparated straight to her parents' house; right into her room.

Lying down, she hoped that sleep would overtake her so she wouldn't have enough time to think about Fred. She drifted off in a matter of minutes, with thoughts of Fred running through her head.

* * *

Hermione refocused back on the present. She jumped out of the shower and put on her work clothes before using her fireplace the floo to St. Mungo's. Her mind was not in her work at all, as she spent most of the day reliving her weekend and everything that had happened between her and Fred. She managed to make it through the day without killing anyone, which was a miracle, and made it back to her flat to see all her things still packed.

Looking at the clock, she saw that it was just after 6. Deciding on take-out, she called the shop she frequented. Changing into sweatpants and a sweater, she lounged on her loveseat, lost in a novel before hearing the doorbell. After receiving her food, she sat back down and ate her dinner, alone. She had to unpack her sleep things and her bed in order to get some sleep.

The rest of the month went in a similar fashion, a mix of work, take-out boxes, and restless nights. Before she knew it, it was the eve of Charlie's wedding. The Weasleys planned a rehearsal at the Burrow at 8 that night.

Hermione got home from work at 6, and jumped into the shower to begin to get ready. Realizing she would have to see Fred, she took extra care in her shower and getting ready. She shaved, shampooed, conditioned, and tried not to think too hard about the night ahead. When she toweled dry, she put on her bathrobe and sat down at her vanity. She used her want to dry, and then curl her hair into soft, flowing ringlets. She did light, natural make-up that highlighted her eyes.

Hermione walked to her living room to the boxes to find a dress for the rehearsal. She looked for over an hour before deciding on a dark green, flowing, one-shoulder dress with her black pumps. After tucking her wand into a hidden pocket and double checking she looked okay, Hermione apparated to the burrow.

* * *

Fred, meanwhile, had spent the better half of his month planning. He hardly did any research for new products or worked in the shop. George understood; he didn't like it, but he understood that it needed to happen. It would all be better after tonight, he thought; it'll all be worth it. He was excited to see his plan through, and counted down the hours until the rehearsal dinner.

Hermione appeared outside the Burrow to see the party already in full swing. There was a large white tent outside with dark blue and white lanterns floating throughout. She could see the large dance floor and band, already playing. Hermione walked over to the entrance. She was greeted with a warm hug by Mrs. Weasley, then Ginny and Harry. She entered the tent and looked around.

It was tastefully decorated in dark blue and white. Rene and Charlie walked around, greeting their guests with warm hugs and smiles. Hermione envied their easy-going relationship and secretly wished she and Fred could get along that well.

Thinking of him, she looked around the room before spotting him across the room, looking straight at her with an intense stare. She blushed and looked down, before Ginny appeared and dragged her to their seats. Which were conveniently at Fred's table. With her place card conveniently next to Fred's. Looking over at Ginny who nodded and gave her a thumbs-up, Hermione begrudgingly sat down next to him.

Awkward didn't even begin to describe it. George attempted a conversation, but was silenced by Angelina as she grabbed him and pulled him to the dance floor. Ginny and Harry disappeared after a few minutes of uncomfortable glances, and Percy and Penelope were so engrossed in their conversation, they had no time to notice the couple across the table from them. Hermione spent the first twenty minutes looking at her nails and counting the outrageous hats from the Weasley's relatives. She counted 14 before she accidentally made eye-contact with Fred, which resulted in much blushing and stammering as they both struggled to come up with something to say. Eventually, they resorted back to silence.

George and Angelina came back, a bit out of breath. He asked Fred if he wanted to go grab a drink, and Fred jumped up and left as if the seat of his pants were on fire. Then Angelina turned on Hermione.

"You guys still haven't talked?!" She shout-whispered at Hermione.

Hermione blushed and shrugged, "We've both been busy, I guess."

"Bullocks." Angelina quickly replied. Hermione blushed again before Angelina spoke again, this time in a softer voice. "Listen. I know we were never exactly close at Hogwarts, but you need to understand that we're both becoming Weasleys soon, and we need to stick together. You're marrying my other-half's other-half. I want you to know that I'm here for you and that you can count on me, but you need to hear me out on this one." She said in one breath, and then looked into Hermione's eyes. "You guys need to talk. Communication is probably the most important part of any relationship, and I can see that you both want to work this out. So, go. Go get your man and tell him the truth. Don't dance around your feelings. It's a waste of yours and everybody else's time. Man up, Hermione." She finished with a smirk.

Hermione, for maybe the third time in her life, was struggling to find the right words. She went with "Thank you," and got up to find Fred. She walked over to the bar, but Fred was nowhere to be seen. She saw George, speaking with Ginny and Harry. She walked over, and they quickly shut up.

"Have you guys seen Fred? I really need to talk to him." She said as she looked around the rest of the room in an attempt to find him. She looked back to see the three of them smiling at her. "What? Have I got something on my face?" She reached up to touch her cheek. The three of them just smiled. George spoke, "I think you should go look at the stars outside."

"Okay?" Hermione said, more confused than anything. She walked outside the tent and looked up to see the lanterns had rearranged into a path into the orchard. Hermione followed the path until it led to the pond at the back of the Weasleys' property.

There, on the sandy shore of the pond, stood Fred, sans jacket and tie, holding a guitar, smiling. Hermione's stomach dropped and filled with butterflies at the same time. She smiled, then stopped, and walked over to him with a straight face. His smile faltered, but he tried not to show it.

He spoke, "Hermione, if I told you I was sorry a hundred times a day for the rest of our lives, it still wouldn't be enough to show you how sorry I am. And since you like muggle songs so much, I learned this one for you, because I thought it would be the best way to get through to you."

He began to sing.

_The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting  
Could it be that we have been this way before?  
I know you don't think that I am trying  
I know you're wearing thin down to the core_

_But hold your breath_  
_Because tonight will be the night_  
_That I will fall for you over again_  
_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day_  
_I swear it's true_  
_Because a girl like you is impossible to find_  
_You're impossible to find_

_This is not what I intended_  
_I always swore to you I'd never fall apart_  
_You always thought that I was stronger_  
_I may have failed, but I have loved you from the start_

_Oh, but hold your breath_  
_Because tonight will be the night_  
_That I will fall for you over again_  
_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day_  
_I swear it's true_  
_Because a girl like you is impossible to find_  
_It's impossible_

_So breathe in so deep_  
_Breathe me in, I'm yours to keep_  
_And hold on to your words 'cause talk is cheap_  
_And remember me tonight when you're asleep_

_Because tonight will be the night_  
_That I will fall for you over again_  
_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day_  
_I swear it's true_  
_Because a girl like you is impossible to find_

_Tonight will be the night_  
_That I will fall for you over again_  
_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day_  
_I swear it's true_  
_Because a girl like you is impossible to find_  
_You're impossible to find._

By the end of it, Hermione's eyes filled with tears and Fred was smiling brightly. "So, does this mean you forgive me? Can we go back to the way were before?" He asked, hopeful.

"No." Hermione said, as she walked over to him. His smile dropped and he took off the guitar and dropped it to the sand.

"Why not?" He asked. All his dreams rested on this moment, and it seemed to all be crashing down around him.

"I can't have it be like before, Fred. If you mean everything you say in that song, then we obviously can't go back to the way we were before. Our relationship needs to be an open one, and if it'll be like before, I can't do it. I can't sit around and pretend I don't have feelings for you. I need to be with you, but I need you to want to be with me. I can't wear my heart on my sleeve. I need to know what this is." At this point they were so close; Hermione could smell his wonderful cologne.

"I want you to be able to tell me everything you feel. I want to be able to tell you how I feel. I want to tell you the things I love about you and the things I hate about you. I want, no I need you. I-"Suddenly, her rant was cut off by Fred's lips pressing on hers. She gave up any hope of continuing her speech, and kissed him back. A few breathless seconds later, Hermione opened her eyes and looked up into his clear blue ones. She saw such clarity and beauty, that she was moved to kiss him again. Several seconds later, they separated, and Fred spoke.

"So, does this mean we're good?" Fred said, with a hopeful expression.

"Oh, we're so good." Hermione said with a grin as she leaned back in to kiss him.

_**A/N: I know, I know. It was like Kraft Mac & Cheese; just oozing with it. Now, please, review!**_


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